For as many as 250 nights a year, and often times more than 10 hours a day, this Fairhaven resident plays the vital role of sound engineer — turning the knobs to assure that the stars on stage will deliver the highest quality sound to an audience.

For 18 years this 36-year old has been getting paid to tour the world and hang out with rock stars while doing something he loves.

But Farrell quickly points out that regardless of how key his role is, the concert experience isn’t about one musician or crew member. Though he plays a pivotal role, bringing a concert to life requires a total team effort.

The music may be magic but the performance depends on the minds and muscle that go on before the show and behind the scenes.

In addition to his international travels, the venues Farrell most looks forward to are the ones in Southeastern Massachusetts, close to his hometown of Marion.

Farrell will be returning to the area on Sunday, Dec. 9 when he will be “mixing” for Blackberry Smoke at the Zeiterion Performing Arts Center for an 8 p.m. show.

The Atlanta-based band will be bringing their brand of southern rock as they perform in support of their latest albums; the electric album “Find A Light” and the acoustic album “Southern Ground Sessions.”

Farrell has been touring Europe with the band the recent months.

“These musicians are trying really hard to get their art out there and I’m trying to help them,” Farrell says. “This is our work and we take special pride in what we do. People don’t realize what a job this is for the crew and musicians. The biggest surprise to most people is the amount of hours that it takes to do this on a regular day.

“On the day of a performance the crew usually unloads their equipment at 9 a.m. and they may not be finished reloading until 1 a.m.”

From Farrell’s point of view, the reality of modern touring is unlike much of the mythology about it. It has been his observation that not everyone is living the storied rock star life. Most crew members and musicians aren’t often in search of groupies and backstage entertainments.

For most of the touring team, a prized commodity is sleep.

And a good show is a victory for everyone.

“When the band goes out on stage and absolutely crushes, we are all excited,” Farrell says. “We feed off of their energy and we all put our talents into passing that incredible energy on to the crowd. It’s even better when that vibe can continue night after night.”

And show after show Farrell oversees a semi-trailer worth of equipment that follows the band throughout their tour. Although the speakers and lighting are provided by the local venues, he manages and helps move everything to the stage including amplifiers, backline instruments, microphones, cabling, stands, scenic items (such as onstage carpeting), risers, backdrops, and floor lighting.

Farrell has his own console unit (sound board) that he interfaces with the local production equipment so that he will have a consistent platform to mix the band on every night.

It is Farrell’s responsibility to make sure everything is packed correctly, as well as organizing and inventorying it, managing repairs, upgrades, and new purchases, and arranging for it to travel legally and safely regardless of where they are in the world.

“Putting on a show is thrilling,” Farrell says. “My favorite thing is being able to be a part of the creation of the show, being a part of the creative process. There’s nothing like standing behind a sound board in the back of thousands of people and being the guy in charge. It’s a high of its own.”

Farrell claims that he has to deal with some quintessential rock star egos and there are the legendary indulgences, but most of the musicians are individual personalities.

“Like everything in life it takes all types,” he says. “There are people who fit the stereotype to a tee – drunk or high, nightmare egos looking for groupies. But what I see that most people don’t is just a bunch of incredibly talented people who spend days and months of their lives away from home to bring their art to their fans.”

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A graduate of Old Rochester Regional High School, Farrell’s introduction to the world of knobs and wires came while he was playing drums for various SouthCoast rock bands.

Since there usually wasn’t someone at the gigs to run the P.A. system, he took it upon himself to give the bands his own sound checks. But the more he did it, the more he discovered an interest and aptitude for it.

Eventually local singer/songwriter and musical mate Rebecca Correia recommended him to Rick Washburn at Middlehouse Sound in Carver.

Farrell would grow along with the business. In his time he has built a deep resume of gigs with some big names such as Aerosmith, Javier Colon, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Commitments, 38 Special, The Family Stone, Cameo and Boys II Men.

Farrell says he has some favorite locations when away from home, such as The Fillmore in San Francisco or Austin City Limits.

He has mixed at Farm Aid and Madison Square Garden, shows he considers a “rite of passage.”

“I really enjoy seeing how the different fans react to the bands all over the world,” he says. “It’s nice to be able to see a new place every day, take in some local culture and travel with the people I enjoy spending time with.

“The musicians are usually very appreciative of what the crew and I do,” Farrell says. “They trust us to make them a success every day.”

And the musicians give something unique to Farrell in return – the opportunities to hear them creating new songs, whether it’s on the tour bus, in the dressing room or during a sound check.

“Sometimes I remember the first time I heard a particular song, even if it was just a new idea before the final product. Most of the time songs remind me of great people I’ve worked with or maybe a place I was journeying to that I’d not been before.

“There are lots of memories good and bad associated with certain artists and songs,” he said. “I’ve also been turned on to plenty of great music that the artists themselves listen to in the dressing room. It’s interesting to hear what has influenced them.”

Farrell enjoys his job for what it is and what it isn’t.

“Perhaps the best thing is that I absolutely love my job,” he says. “I try to tell myself that even a bad day on the road is better than being in a cubicle somewhere.”